


Plead the Fifth

by MegaFrost4



Series: A Tragic Beauty [5]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Destiel - Freeform, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Castiel (Supernatural), Hurt Dean Winchester, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Protective Dean Winchester, Series Finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-19 09:15:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29748306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegaFrost4/pseuds/MegaFrost4
Summary: But after this, I plead the fifthBefore my fall, after your liftI swore I heard you say the Hallelujah
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: A Tragic Beauty [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/420283
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I want to thank the fan(s) that wrote this, shared this, made art and videos and fics for this. This was already one of my favorite songs, and now Destiel has its own version? The POWER this ship has, I swear. Destiel going canon made me get off my a$$ and finally get this series finished. This is my finale for A Tragic Beauty. Thank-you all for the support. Glad I finally wrote this thing out. Here's to many more stories after this [I need to get back to my Avengers fics, because I have abandoned them these past few months, but history was being made!]

Cas was dreaming. He was not scared anymore. There was peace in his sleep.

_They were walking along the path, far away from civilization, from interruption. Cas giggled at something Dean said under his breath. Unlike Dean, he enjoyed their nature walks, now that he was not suffering from PTSD of losing his grace and becoming human. He was strong, and he was confident, and he was in love._

_They came upon a lake with two swans gracefully gliding together over the crystal water._

_"How cliche." Dean snorted._

_"Dean." Cas jabbed his elbow into Dean's arm. Dean playfully rubbed at it. "It's still beautiful."_ Just like you.

_"Cas?" The former angel looked down, and saw Dean on his knee with a small box in his hand._

_"Dean? What are you doing?" Cas stepped back a bit, his heart racing._

_"Come on...you've seen how many movies with me?" Dean went on with the proposal, Cas accepted, then the dream shifted, and-_

Cas woke up in a cold sweat. He felt strong arms wrap around him protectively. He took a moment to find where he was and when he was. 

"Cas?" That voice.

He shifted his gaze to the left, and there he was.

"Dean?" He leaned forward, nestling under the chin with more than a stubble now. But it was real, and he was here, and it was not just another dream.

"Hey, baby..." Dean rubbed his back slowly. "How are you feeling?"

"A little tired...and I'm so _sore_..." Always on cue, the pain in his back and practically everywhere enflamed.

"Time for some Tylenol..." Dean got up and grabbed the medicine and a glass of water. "Sammy has been gourmet chef Pierre in the kitchen all morning, so I don't know what's for lunch, but...I can always order pizza later if we don't like it..."

Cas winced. "Hm...mhm..." He swallowed the pills.

"Here's a cracker..."

"To coat my stomach..." He lectured himself, not trying to think about it. _Just do it. It will make you feel better._ "Thank-you, Dean..."

"You're welcome." Dean kissed his head.

"How long was I out?" Cas gripped his glass tightly. "I only remember waking up a few times after...well...everything..."

"It's..." Cas could see the dark circles under his eyes, like Dean had nightmares again. He probably did, if he were not awake more than he was asleep. "It's been about three or four days...I don't know..." He rubbed his forehead painfully.

"And did you get any sleep during that time?" Cas raised an eyebrow.

Dean laughed. "Hey, I'm too busy being worried sick about you..." He nudged him playfully. "I'm sorry..."

"You're just as bad as me." Cas took another sip of water.

"Sue me..." He shrugged.

"...can you play some music again?" Cas' eyes pleaded. "I...haven't really gotten to enjoy it much, considering the past circumstances, but I do remember music whenever I woke up, and it put me back to sleep, just..."

Dean smiled. "Of course...here..." He pulled his phone out, and Cas under his arm to see better. "You pick..." He hummed at different choice Cas scrolled by, then..."Good choice...love this one."

"I like the title...it interested me..." Cas confessed.

"There's a movie too...been meaning to getting around to seeing it..." Dean made a mental note to do just that, then hit "play".

_I never meant to cause you any sorrow_

_I never meant to cause you any pain_

_I only wanted one time to see you laughing_

_Only want to see you laughing in the purple rain_

Cas twisted up and kissed Dean on the cheek. Dean turned so he could kiss him on the lips. 

"I love you, Dean. And I forgive you."

Dean's heart felt like it had stopped. "I..." He swallowed a lump. "I love you too...and I'm-"

Cas put a finger on his quivering lips. "Don't. I told you, we're ok."


	2. Epilogue

**_ONE YEAR LATER..._ **

Cas heard Baby's hum, and looked up with a huge smile on his face. He went back to finish his last sentence and bookmarked his journal carefully. He stood up from his position on the roof.

"I will _never_ understand why you like hanging out up there!" Dean pulled out some groceries. "Please don't fall."

"Yes, dear." Cas saluted, then climbed down with ease. He came up and kissed his husband, Dean unable to move, cause his hands were full.

"I missed you too..." Dean laughed.

After they made dinner together, they snuggled up onto the couch. Cas asked about the shop...Dean asked about the blog...

"Sammy and Eileen are coming over this weekend." Dean looked around. "I see you've already cleaned."

"I know how you two get..." Cas elbowed him. 

Dean faked almost spilling his beer. "You're lucky you're cute..." He took a swig, finishing it off. His eyes looked down at the table in front of him. "Baby, I don't want you overdoing it..."

"I'm fine, Dean." Cas defended. "Besides, Gabriel was here, and we did jazzercise. It's a lot of fun. But I am exhausted." He slouched.

"Well, you seemed fine enough to climb up on top of the world..." Dean winked.

This year was no easier than the previous year and a half since they had first met. Dean could not quite remember how long any of it really was, what with all of the reality manipulations that went on. All he knew was, Cas was the best thing to ever happen to him. And he kept his promise. He helped Cas every day to heal and gain strength and confidence. After everything, Cas still got nightmares, anxiety attacks, and depressive spells. But Dean still loved him. He never gave up on him. Day by day, things got better. Cas got back into his hobbies, and then some. He started a nature blog, and was still journaling. For Christmas, their first Christmas they could actually celebrate proper, Dean got Cas a camera, so he could make memories, admire, and learn as much as he wanted. Cas got Dean an iPod, saying he needed to move on from the mixtapes. Dean eventually got around to it.

Cas also had gained some weight back, the right way. Gabriel promised himself he would see to it that he would always keep Cas company while Dean went to work. They did not want Cas to ever be alone. Cas opened up a lot more too, as he read books, and asked questions. Gabriel and Dean were so patient with him, and he appreciated that. 

They laid in bed, watching the newest Batman movie, laughing and theorizing together. 

"Cas..." Dean stopped the credits from rolling. "Thank-you again, for everything."

"Dean, I should be the one-"

"Yeah, but...what I meant to say is, well, you know this..." He had literally said this in their vows last month. "I never thought I could have a life outside of hunting. What, with my past and family issues, trying to protect Sam, coming back from Hell...fighting Lucifer and all of the douchebags upstairs...I never saw a way out from that life." He sighed. "I mean, I don't regret it, cause we saved a lot of lives, and prevented a lot of bad things from happening, but...thank-you for saving me, from it all..." Dean kissed Cas gently.

Cas hummed. "You saved me too, every day...even when I was an angel..." That dull throb in his back ached at the memory, that empty weight that part of him will always miss. "You taught me how to live...and how to love...I could never repay you...Dean Winchester, I love you."

"We're so sappy right now..." Dean laughed. "Can't wait for our honeymoon."

They were going to Disney World, because Dean had always wanted to go, and they were going to rent a condo on the beach, because Cas wanted everything Dean wanted. But Dean was not going to go until Cas was well enough to go.

"Me neither...it's going to be so much fun..." Cas pulled out his phone, and showed Dean all of the new things that they had just renovated at the theme parks. Dean ate up every word, thanking the stars that this was their life now.

* * *

_After dying and being reborn_

_After feeling lost and being found_

_After rebelling and standing up for what was wanted_

_Because it was what was needed_

_Love was learned and nurtured and grown_

_Into something so powerful_

_So beautifully..._

_The road so far was not easy_

_It was heartbreaking_

_It was merciless_

_It was damning_

_But so worth it in the end_

_Because after it all_

_They chose each other_

_The man afraid of feeling love_

_And the angel afraid of never knowing what it was like to feel_

_Both were scorned by their families_

_Both found each other and did whatever it took to stay together_

_Because they both never felt so alive before_

_So loved before_

_This was their story_

_This was their destiny_

_Together_

_Forever_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank-you all for sticking with me through this series. This ending was inspired by Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, so yeah, I'm a sucker for a good story that rips your heart out, but at the end, it is wholesome and meaningful. This series means a lot to me, as I came up with the idea after reading Twist and Shout five years ago. It completely shattered me. Words can't describe it. Check my Tumblr for my full review/reaction to it. Anyways, I wanted to do a Destiel focused rewrite of the series. I may go back and add a couple more chapters to Tears of an Angel and Lamentations because those were both short, but I still love this series. It feels good to finish another passion project [as all of my fanfics are]. I'm sorry I'm so bad at endings, but I need to tie a bow on this series! Hope you enjoyed this! More stories to come!


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